Typical agricultural seeders are wheeled implements which are towed by agricultural work vehicles such as tractors. A seeder has a frame structure which has containers for seeds and a number of seed insertion devices such as cutting disks, shanks or air drills. The seed insertion devices are arranged in horizontal rows to provide uniform application of the seeds in rows in the soil. A large area of a field may thus be seeded in a single pass with the work vehicle.
The seeder has a frame structure of interlocking tubes which is supported by a number of wheels. Typically the frame structure has a number of front gauge wheels and rear packing wheels. The front gauge wheels are in closer proximity to the seed insertion devices and are adjustable to change the depth at which the seed insertion devices plant the seeds into the soil. The front gauge wheels may be raised or lowered relative to the frame structure depending on the depth an operator desires to plant the seeds. The rear packing wheels are somewhat larger but greater in number than the front gauge wheels. The rear packing wheels stabilize the seeder and tamp down the soil over the planted seeds.
The overall weight of the seeder is typically equally distributed between the front and rear wheels. However, since there are fewer front gauge wheels than rear packing wheels, greater weight is placed on each front gauge wheel. Because of the uneven weight distribution, in soft or wet soil conditions, the front gauge wheels tend to sink or become plugged with soil. This results in seed insertion which is uneven or deeper than desired. Improper seed depth adversely effects the crop yield. Additionally, miring the front gauge wheels causes strain on the work vehicle and creates the threat of miring the work vehicle and seeder causing an interruption of seeding operations.
Thus, there exists a need for a seeder system which allows weight to be redistributed from the front gauge wheels. There is a further need for a seeder system which allows the front gauge wheels to function without miring the front of the seeder. There is also a need for a seeder which will transfer weight from the front gauge wheels to a towing work vehicle.